Omar Barghouti and Ralph Nader

Omar Barghouti is a Palestinian human rights defender. He is a co-founder of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University, NY, and a Master’s Degree in Philosophy (Ethics) from Tel Aviv University. He is the author of BDS: The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights . His commentaries and interviews have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Financial Times, Newsweek the Guardian, Politico, and on Bloomberg TV, MSNBC, CNN, BBC, among others. He spoke at Yale University in 2013.

Ralph Nader

The legendary Ralph Nader has done groundbreaking work on a multitude of citizen action projects for decades. From auto safety to general consumer issues to criticizing nuclear power to “Breaking Through Power”, Nader has made his mark on history.

Ralph Nader has been one of America’s most effective social critics for over 50 years. His inspiration and example have galvanized a whole population of consumer advocates, citizen activists, and public interest lawyers who in turn have established their own organizations throughout the country.

As a crusading attorney he first made headlines in 1965 with his book Unsafe at Any Speed, a scathing indictment that lambasted the auto industry for producing unsafe vehicles. The book led to congressional hearings and a series of automobile safety laws passed in 1966. Since 1966, Nader has been responsible for: at least eight major federal consumer protection laws such as the motor vehicle safety laws, Safe Drinking Water Act; the launching of federal regulatory agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Consumer Product Safety Administration; the recall of millions of defective motor vehicles; access to government through the Freedom of Information Act of 1974; and for many lives saved.

In the political realm Nader has raised not only consumer issues, but the need for peace. He spoke outagainst the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2006 . While most politicians gave 100% support to Israeli militarism Nader talked about the need to act together with the Israeli peace movement. He is a sharp critic of the Pentagon, its militarism and its waste. His most recent initiative was Breaking Through Power a conference in Washington D.C.